


incidental blackmail

by brandywine421



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Comfort No Hurt, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Misunderstandings, Secret Identity Fail, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22062328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: Matt decides to open a cafe.  For reasons.Post Defenders (but Matt didn't stay in the building.)
Relationships: Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson
Comments: 33
Kudos: 109
Collections: DDE’s 2020 New Year’s Day Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [c_doves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/c_doves/gifts).



> For c_doves who had a batch of lovely prompts for me to choose from. ♥ I hope you enjoy!
> 
> I used the prompt: _cafe_.
> 
> Post Defenders _(but Matt didn't almost die at Midland Circle and didn't meet Sister Maggie, so totes softer landing pre-Season 3 shenanigans)._

> _"If you don't help - I'll tell everyone you're Daredevil."_
> 
> _"Theo! What are you - Matt - he didn't mean that, we would never - your secret's always been safe with us!"_
> 
> _"Shit, I take it back - I - ow, Mom!"_
> 
> _"What are you asking him for with a threat like that, he's like family, Theo - what are you thinking?"_
> 
> _"I messed up and - "_
> 
> _"I'll help you, Theo, if you stop talking right now and go upstairs."_

* * *

Bess was surprised but pleased when Matt took her up on the dinner invitation after months, hell, maybe years of offering. She should have known he had an ulterior motive. Brett obviously knew, making a point to come by and 'help'.

Her son had always been curious about the Murdock boys, he knew how much his dad liked going to Battlin' Jack's fights before they both passed away too young. Foggy kept Matt's friendship to himself, never sharing his shiny best friend with others and she had a feeling Brett's curiosity was more about that than any kind of vigilante nonsense.

The vigilante nonsense, of course, was their guest's first topic of conversation after the small talk requirements were finished.

"How'd you know it was me?" Matt asked, settled at the counter island with a cup of coffee.

Bess patted his hand. The prettiest ones were always the slowest learners. "Honey, you only cover half your face and you don't change your voice."

"Yes, I do," he frowned.

"It's your interrogation or, well, cross-examination voice, you use it in court when you get all riled up at a witness," Brett offered from the stove.

"More like your 'controlled rage' setting to hear the ladies at the church tell it, but you try your best. Somebody giving you trouble?" Bess asked, wondering why Matthew was out of sorts enough to talk about his secret.

"I didn't know it was common knowledge," he admitted with a light blush.

Brett met her gaze and she took his place at the stir-fry station. He patted Matt on the shoulder and politely left the room to let the grown ups talk. He was such a good boy.

"Who's been talking out of turn?"

"I don't need you to defend my honor, but I appreciate your concern," Matt smiled. He always looked so tired. "There's trouble coming and someone - local - clued me in on it. I'm pursuing a new career path."

Non sequitur be damned, she had questions. "What kind of trouble?"

"The real reason I'm here is that I need your help," he replied instead of answering.

"My help?" That was suspicious. Brett stuck his head back in the room with a raised eyebrow that agreed with her.

"Yep. You're the only person in the Kitchen that I trust to help with this particular issue," Matt said, inclining his head at Brett. "I bought the building attached to Nelson's Meats."

"You're getting into real estate now?" Brett blurted out.

"Wait, not renting the space, but buying the building?" Bess parsed. "Theo made a mess, didn't he?"

"Not saying that," Matt replied, but his face was totally saying it. "There's a new player in town, or maybe an old one with a new game."

Bess didn't like the flicker of understanding on her son's face.

"Theo has no idea what kind of lead he dropped in my lap, but - it's nothing yet."

"So how can I help?" Bess asked, turning off the heat when the food was cooked to perfection and ready for a dash of salt and plates.

"Do you remember what used to be in the storefront beside Nelson's?"

"Of course, the bakery shut down years ago, it's rotated through owners since but the last one was, what, slushies?"

Brett hummed. "Smoothies, Ma, maybe it would have stayed open if it served slushies. How'd you find the money for all that?"

Matt fidgeted with his sleeves, his nervous tell - another open secret. "My friend passed away. She didn't have any family but she had a will."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Matthew, I didn't know," Bess said, as she put his plate and fork in front of him on the counter.

"It was like a punch in the gut every time I saw my bank balance, moved it in a separate account so I never have to think about it," Matt blurted out.

Brett didn't share her surprise and she added the topic to the list for later.

"I'm opening a cafe, the place has all the connections for it so it'll just be a matter of the remodel and - all of that. I'm outsourcing for the renovations and Theo's helping with the business - explaining the finance part," Matt specified, putting Bess at ease knowing Matt was definitely taking over the accounting at both places.

"What do you need from Ma?"

Matt tugged on his sleeves. "Pie."

"Pie?" she and Brett asked together.

"Elektra loved pie. You make the best pie I've ever eaten and believe me, I'm a picky eater," Matt said, as if it wasn't as obvious as his farce of a mask. "I was hoping you'd share a recipe. You made a pie for Fog's graduation party. It reminded me of her when I tasted it and I'd like it to be on the menu since her money's paying for the whole thing."

She considered it. "You asking any other locals for recipes?"

"Not particularly, why? I haven't gotten past coffee and pie," Matt replied.

"What's your niche then?" Brett asked as they tucked into the meal. She was especially pleased to see Matt's 'omnomnom' face. He knew he'd get the damn pie.

"24 hour coffee, cold sandwiches and pie. No donuts because I don't know how to make those and I don't trust Theo with anything that's not meat," Matt shuddered.

She didn't want to think about that. "You'll bring in a lot of customers if you feature neighborhood recipes."

"I don't want to hire a chef, I can make pie," he insisted.

"If you can make pie, you can make Harriet's quiche - "

"And Mrs. Lottie's turkey pot pie, she's getting old and hasn't been contributing to the pot lucks," Brett picked up the thread.

Matt held up his fork and finished chewing his bite. "First, this is delicious, and second - I'll try the recipes once I get the kitchen set up. We'll make it a PR stunt or something, get the press involved."

"You want to get noticed?" Brett asked

Matt flashed that smile, the one that would always mark him as the devil in uniform or out. "Oh, yeah. New players or new game, I want in."

* * *

  
Foggy froze at the unfamiliar sound coming from Matt's apartment. Sure, it had been a few months since he'd checked in on his - well, currently estranged, but still - best friend. And it wasn't like Matt had called him, or emailed - so the radio silence was mutual. Until yesterday when Matt - fuck - had called him and asked for a home visit.

Had it been months? Damn. He pushed his hand through his hair, never going to be used to the length no matter how much Marci and, well, everyone, seemed to like it better.

He raised his hand to knock and the sound stopped. Humming. Matt never hummed unless - shit - did he miss Matt's psychotic break because he was off trying to be short-haired? 

"Thanks for coming, I'm so desperate, Fogs," Matt said, swinging open the door.

He flushed with panic but Matt looked - fine? Good, even? And damn if his apartment didn't smell like sugar rush heaven.

"Sorry, it's not a bad kind of emergency," Matt hesitated, probably noticing the sudden heat of his blush with his radar vision - or whatever.

"It's just been a while since I was exposed to full on Murdock drama," Foggy said, embracing him and holding on long enough to make sure he wasn't hiding any casts or bandages but not too long to make it weird. "How are you, buddy?"

"Better," Matt replied squeezing tightly before releasing him. "I've got a lot of news, mostly good, and as always - I need a favor."

"And as always, I want to hear everything, good and bad and will help if it doesn't break any moral or legal boundaries," Foggy replied.

Matt smiled faintly. "Then we're good. I've got paint samples."

"Um, okay, you need me to help paint because I'm not really dressed - " Foggy started but shut up when he saw several sets of binders with paint, tile and pattern samples. Huh. "Are you redecorating?"

"Not the way you think. More like, renovating my life."

"Whose bright idea was that?" Foggy asked, genuinely curious since he'd never followed Foggy's fucking advice about anything.

"Claire," Matt sighed. "She gave me her friend's number and I get regular, off the books, psychiatric advice twice a week by phone. She's been great, Claire, not the shrink, hate that guy."

Foggy's gut cramped suddenly. Matt *didn't* hate the guy. He'd missed - damn.

"Anyway, I'm trying to get - my shit together."

He nodded like that wasn't what he'd been wishing for since - always. "Sure."

"And after a lot of thought, I'm going to take a break from law."

His brain whited-out in shock. "What? Fuck, Matt, why is that - "

Matt raised a hand - only one splinted finger but definitely not progress. "You always said that I shouldn't practice law if I was going to make a habit of breaking it."

"I didn't mean you should quit being a lawyer, you worked your ass off to get where you are - "

"I know what you meant but - "

"Matt. Are things that bad?" Foggy whispered. It had only been a few months, this couldn't be real. Matt was supposed to pull his head out of his ass and - well, get his shit together - but not like this. 

"The shrink says I should try a lower stress job for a while until I deal with my - issues. PTSD, depression, night terrors - he says all of that would improve if I took a time-out from practicing law full time," Matt said in an even, fucking practiced tone. "It wasn't an easy decision and there are - outside influences I can't talk about right now."

Oh shit. "So you're just taking a leave of absence, not - "

"I'm opening a cafe in your brother's building," Matt blurted out. "Elektra left me a shit-ton of money and I have a lot of feelings about it - a lot of unresolved - fuck - "

"Slow down," Foggy said, taking his wrist automatically. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Off the record, your brother needed a favor and I needed a hobby. On the record, I'm learning about tax law and how to ruin a business, no, run a business," Matt corrected with a smirk.

"What's Theo got to do with it?" Foggy asked.

"I'm under your mother's gag order not to tell you the details until after Christmas. But I promised not to lie to you, so I had to tell you something. Now, bombs dropped, emotional moment averted - can you - "

"I veto my mother," he heard himself saying.

Matt hesitated. "Really?"

"Yeah. Theo's terrified of you - "

"He threatened to leak my identity if I didn't help," Matt said plainly.

He sucked in a breath. "Shit. I'm so sorry, Matt - I swear I didn't tell him - "

But Matt waved him off. "I was - pretty upset at first, but then your parents knew, too and - well, apparently it's an open secret. I had a come-to-Jesus talk with Bess and - now I'm just making him feel as guilty about trying to blackmail me as I do about spending El's money."

"I'm still going to kill him," Foggy whispered.

"There's more. He almost signed the business over to Fisk," Matt said. "I know he's in jail, but his fiancee's not and - things are shifting. I don't like it. Your brother is on my shit list, true, but he might have given me the key to stopping whatever Vanessa's planning."

Matt's words settled into his stomach like cement. Shit. This was much bigger than paint samples.

"Can I trust you to stay out of it until I need you?" Matt asked. "Because - I'm going to need a lawyer I can trust to - "

"I guess that depends."

Matt hesitated.

"You have three pies on the other counter," Foggy sighed, flipping open a binder filled with photographs of tables and seats in various setups for serving food.

"I need the last one to cool and then we can start the blind tasting," Matt smiled.

* * *

"Do you think he bought it?" Theo asked, fumbling with the box of braille documents he'd been tasked with bringing inside. His mom had told him, unhappily, that Foggy had been let in on Matt's new 'career plan' aka 'saving Theo's ass' aka 'who asked for this but whatever' news

Matt didn't answer, sliding his fingers over the boxes without a tic of interest in Theo's continued presence.

"Come on, Matt, I can't take the silent treatment forever - " Theo said, hoping it didn't come out as a whine, but failing miserably.

"I told him the truth. He's my best friend and I don't want to lose him again. I don't trust you because you've never given me a reason to - but Foggy's fucking earned it," Matt said, his tone sharp enough to cut.

"I swear I didn't mean it. I was desperate," Theo said God, he really really didn't mean it.

"I believe you, but my previous statement stands. You gotta earn it, Theo."

"Do you have more boxes for me to haul?" he asked, accepting that it was going to take more than a few weeks and streaks of silent treatment to fix what he'd damaged.

Matt would have helped him anyway - sure, he knew that - now - but - shit, he'd fucked up so badly. His parents trusted him with their life's work and he'd spent more time breaking up weed on his textbooks than actually reading them, business degree be damned.

He didn't need another loan, he needed to pay off the first two but then there was the broken pipes and the heatwave and broken freezers - 

"Not boxes, but you can help me try something," Matt said, not unfolding his stick and maneuvering through the box maze to the freshly installed door that led into the cafe.

Theo hadn't been allowed to see inside the place since Matt had 'pulled all the strings' to rush the build, renovations and inspection checks. "Really?"

"Come on," Matt sighed, flipping the latch and stepping through.

He was impressed at the sleekness of the space but not with the expensive hardwood floors and polished counters. It made his shop look cheap.

Matt stopped at one of the four-tops in the center where several clear boxes were lined up with colorful marbles inside. Theo picked one up and realized they weren't marbles - they were candy.

"The tabletops are different colors, right?" Matt asked.

"Sure," Theo said blankly, mapping the pastel sections of white, yellow, pink and green tables and the bar area a shiny lavender.

Matt held out one of the clear display cases filled with marshmallows. "These go on white. Lemon drops on yellow, mints on green - "

"They're red and white," Theo interrupted when Matt got to mint.

"Shit. Peppermint not - it doesn't matter, it still works."

"Bubble gum on pink and - grape lollipops at the bar. I'm on the same page," Theo said, wanting the disappointed expression off Matt's face. "It's so you can find the right table when you work the front end, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can I turn on the lights?" Theo asked.

Matt sighed. "Sorry. I forget - "

"I remember, but I thought I'd ask just in case they weren't hooked up," he said, relaxing at Matt's rude gesture of acknowledgement.

He would never be a successful bigshot like Foggy, but he could do his best to earn the Devil's trust.

* * *

Matt opened his arms wide when the bell jangled on the door. "Claire, thank God," he groaned, hugging her through her annoyed swats of defense.

"Little handsy there, aren't you Murdock?" Luke grunted, not unkindly but not playful at all.

He gave the larger man a matching hug of gratitude. "Luke, thank God for you, too - please tell me you're both unemployed and in need of a quick and well-paying job?"

"Hold up - you didn't say anything about - " Claire started to puff up and Matt realized he'd misstepped.

"I was joking about the unemployed part, but not the job offers - I need people I can trust to staff the place, but I was going to ask for referrals not to insult either of you," Matt said before he stepped on any more mines.

"Fuck, no, I'm sorry. I got laid off - again and - "

"I'm on the shit list for not pitching in on rent, which I maintain was an honest mistake since I don't check your mail and we don't talk about money," Luke picked up on whatever fight they'd been having before they got here.

Matt ditched all plans of, well, laying out his plans and made his way behind the counter. The controls and settings on the coffee machines were all set up for him after a lot of trial and error. Photographs of the approved setup was in clear view for any assistants he hired to help keep the place running.

"The place looks great, Matt, but I'm positive this isn't you turning over a new leaf and giving up the good fight for Lady Justice," Claire said, sliding onto an empty stool and sliding her hands over the smooth countertop. "Candy?"

"Color-coded for my convenience," Matt smiled. "Luke's in the yellow section."

"Coffee and candy shop?" Luke asked, curious now that he was distracted from his domestic.

"Coffee, etc. Gonna call it 'Mike's Cafe'," he said, earning a flash of warmth from Claire. A smile. 

"I'm a shitty waitress and cooking's off the table," she said.

"Can you work a cash register and or operate a dishwasher, fridge and freezer with a touchscreen?" Matt asked. "I missed some boxes on the special order and I can't run the place on my own right now."

"You plan on running the place - "

Matt shook his head. "I know what you're both thinking and you're almost right. I am using it for a cover, but I'm also - trying to be serious about this. Menu's full of things I can cook in my own kitchen, local recipes to ensure I get traffic from the kind of people I need to eavesdrop on," he confided. "I'm following a lead, and - "

Claire shifted, tense in an instant. "Fisk. I can see it on your stupid face, are you - no. He's locked up."

"He's rich enough for that not to be an issue," Matt sighed. "I've got proof, of his girlfriend's involvement at least, a lot of contracts to get through but it's on my radar."

"From what I hear, Fisk needs to be on everyone's radar," Luke said, sitting down beside Claire.

Matt put cups of fresh coffee in front of them and arranged the creamer and sweetener dolly between them. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but I think he's got Feds on his payroll now and at least a few cops that recently transferred in."

Claire sipped the hot coffee black and hissed in pleased approval. "Nice blend, what is it?"

"Coffee of the month club, January 2017, don't know the exact blend," Matt lied.

Luke splayed his huge hand on the counter. "I'm an ex-con but I have kitchen experience and - "

"You're hired," Matt cut him off. He heard Claire's soft inhale of breath as she prepared to speak and tapped her cup instead. "I'll only put you on the payroll, Nurse Temple, if you enroll in classes to upgrade your skills."

She flared with anger, Luke with surprise but Matt smiled, tapping her cup again. "Bad phrasing - your degrees, nobody's doubting your skills. PA, NP, DO, MD - whatever letters you need because I've asked you to go beyond nursing on a regular basis. You'd be helping me out - like you always do, but for once, maybe you can get something useful out of it other than gray hair."

"Stop flirting with my girl, Boss," Luke said after a beat and a hint of salt in the air.

"Who's handling payroll - because minimum wage won't cut it, Harlem or Hell's Kitchen," Claire said, her voice clear.

Matt winced without thinking about how it would look. "Have you heard from Jessica in the last couple of days? I sent her some files to look over for me and she dropped off the map - that Malcolm guy says she's fine, but - I was hoping she would tag in, too."

"If she took your call and the files, she's already in," Luke said. "Who else is tagged in?"

"Danny's on a different assignment," Matt admitted. "I like the guy, don't get me wrong, but I don't know if I trust him unattended in an industrial kitchen."

"What kind of job did you give him?" Claire laughed, fumbling with - ah, her phone.

"Fisk, unfortunately, knows my real identity. It's a problem - he knows Foggy and Karen are my soft spots and he's been circling the waters for blood since the firm broke up," Matt said. "Danny's getting himself fitted for a nice suit, like some other - contacts with applicable skills - and he's going to fill in as Daredevil, taking Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday."

"Oh my God, you didn't," Luke gasped.

"I think he went with yellow, who knows why, but my tailor's glad for the business and damn good at his job so Iron Fist will have great armor, down to the devil horns that match his suit," Matt shrugged.

"And you're sticking with red, I assume?"

"Think I'm going back to black, I need to be a shadow until we cut Fisk off at the knees," Matt said.

Claire sipped her coffee, thoughtful. "Jess texted back, she's working your case and wants to know if you've got what you promised."

"Whiskey of the month club, 2015," Matt nodded.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

>   
>  _"It's not an arrow, it's a pitchfork! Shit, the Devil's got a projectiles, get the fuck out of here!"_
> 
> _"Pork Chop Sandwiches, motherfuckers!" The purple Devil called from a perch on the opposite roof before releasing a volley of pitchforks with little triangle tails._

* * *

"I can get you a Fed," Karen confessed. "I don't know what kind of shape she'll be in, Pete said she started drinking a lot when all the plea deals and sentences were passed around. She didn't want a promotion, she wanted her friends not to be dead or traitors."

Matt twitched and huffed out a small sigh. "I get that. I don't need her to *do* anything, just keep her ears open."

She ran her fingertip around the rim of the cup. "You've got a lot of people just keeping their ears open, when are you going to start asking for actual help?"

He smiled, reaching under the counter and pulling out a copy of today's Bulletin with her own cover story in the corner he wasn't pointing at. She remembered that he couldn't 'read' the Bulletin because of the type of printing process they used but it was still sweet that he knew about her articles. "Daredevil Copycat?"

"You don't have boobs, Matt, and she took selfies with all her rescues - granted, she called herself Daredevil, but the 'Double D's' on her uniform right over aforementioned boobs were, maybe, not a good design plan."

Matt chewed on his lip, thinking, and she wondered - shit. "Wait, you know her?"

He held up his hand to pause and called into the back, "Melvin, you got a second?"

She recognized, vaguely, the giant of a man that ducked through the doorway and joined them, head down and shy.

"Melvin, this is my friend, Karen. She doesn't like the suit you made for the lady," Matt said.

Melvin slumped his shoulders even more, as if there were any way he could make himself less of a giant. "Betsy doesn't either. But the customer is always right, that's the rule."

"And rules are important," Matt nodded evenly.

"She's pretty new to the whole costume crew, isn't she?" Karen asked. "Doesn't fight as well as you or the yellow or purple devils."

"Did you like their suits?" Melvin asked.

"Oh, it's not about the quality of the suits, Melvin, you're an excellent tailor," Karen said. "It's the taste level - your customer needs to think more about functionality than fashion."

"I gave her a sports binder and she thought it was - spanx and said I was being rude but - " Melvin stammered. "The manager intervened and explained it."

Matt shook his head. "Jessica's the cafe manager, she was supposed to supervise the meeting to avoid - whatever that is - but got distracted bickering with Hellcat instead. She upset Melvin with all the talk of - curves."

Karen thumped his forehead. "Don't send your problem children to Melvin if you can't make them behave. I'll talk to - Hellcat and get some revisions, is that okay, Melvin?" 

He shifted anxiously. "I still have her measurements, and the first prototype - with the D's she wanted on the back instead of the front."

"Perfect, that's smart thinking," Karen nodded. "And Matt - I'll give my friend your contact information. What do you need from me other than - "

"Keep doing what you're doing," Matt said. "Trust your instincts and watch your back."

She cupped both hands around her nearly empty mug. "Fisk will come for me. He'll - "

Matt tapped her wrist. "Let's make sure he doesn't get that chance."

Melvin lowered his voice. "I'll make you some clothes with armored lining, so you'll be safe."

"Not right now, you won't, I need to check that dough you were working on," Matt said.

"You don't need him for that, we can talk, take his seat, Melvin," Karen smiled.

* * *

Bess, Anna and Ed shared a table in the Mint section of the cafe, a full day ahead of the official grand opening.

She was pleased it was a full house - a full business instead of a surveillance shell - but not sure how she felt about Brett and three other cops taking the main counter section and chatting with Matt openly.

"They're a lot friendlier now that he's not a full time defense attorney," Ed grumbled.

"More than that, I think. He's not telling us everything," Anna replied. "What do you know, Bess?"

"Not much, just that he bought the building so he could get Theo out of a bad loan," Bess said, careful. "What I don't understand is why he went to Matt for money."

"He knows someone that works at the bank, so much for confidentiality, but you know how people talk. Guy in Hell's Kitchen lands on that kind of money and doesn't buy a car or move to a nicer neighborhood - " Ed started.

"Why on earth would he need a car, Ed?" Anna sighed.

"Did Theo know it was an inheritance and not a work windfall?" Bess asked, curious if the Nelsons were being oblivious on purpose.

Anna caught her point immediately even if Ed looked away, thoughtful. "It was the Natchios girl, wasn't it? No wonder he treats it like a curse."

"Not a curse, Anna, boy's got enough of those already - he probably would have tucked it away and pretended it didn't exist - box up the guilt like his Daddy taught him," Ed corrected solemnly. 

She looked up when Jessica Jones, the hero herself holding a tray with a sampler platter of pie slices and tiny forks. "Boss says you're gossiping."

Bess started to apologize but the woman pulled up a chair and settled in.

"Not your waitress, taste the pie and rate it on the cards - now, what are you gossiping about ?" Jessica asked.

Matt cleared his throat pointedly from across the room but Brett, her smart boy, recaptured his attention with a grin and distracted him from business that was none of his.

"Is he still having feelings about the money his 'friend' left him?" Bess asked.

"Oh, that. Yeah, but he's got his priest and that shrink working through it with him, don't bring it up unless you've got a full bottle of whiskey to back it up," she said easily. "He's doing all right. My lawyer and I are watching the money, making sure he doesn't give it all to orphans or opportunistic baby brothers."

"Foggy's your lawyer, isn't he?" Anna asked.

Jessica gave a thumb's up. "Anything else new? Talk on the street?"

"The colorful impostors, he knows about them, right?" Ed whispered. 

"No comment," she said, eyeing a slice of pie as she stood up. "Vote for the cherry, I'll feel guilty if I have to wreck the ballots to get it on the regular."

* * *

"Honestly, I thought you were lying about the shrink," Foggy said when Matt blinked awake on the office sofa.

"What happened?"

"Your lack of sleep caught up with you, nearly face-planted when you were taking out the trash - which is not your job, according to Jess and Melvin and Luke - "

"Shit. Really? And you called the doc?" Of course everything would go to hell when he thought he'd finally found a balance.

"Claire called the doc," he said, laying his hand over Matt's forehead. "You don't have a concussion for once so the fainting was - damn, you scared the hell out of us.'

Matt closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Pie. "Who's - "

"The cafe runs itself - well - when Luke's in the kitchen anyway. Talk. You're not patrolling, the cafes doing great and - "

"I can't meditate. I can't sleep. I can't - turn off the way - not since I buried her the first time, Fogs. It's not - if I can't run it out as Daredevil, I can't - " he whispered. 

"Okay. New plan, and it's not just because you fainted like a wayward damsel in Luke's arms - "

"Ask Marci first. I don't want - "

"It was her idea, she doesn't keep silk sheets on the guest bed for anyone else, loser."

"Thanks," he said.

"I can't promise she's not going to yell at you anyway. She really wanted that peach cobbler on the menu," Foggy said. 

"Thursdays," Matt replied. "It's the special on Thursdays, she only comes to Hell's Kitchen to have Thursday dinner with your fam, I can't get enough fresh peaches to do it all week and I hate canned - "

"Fruit, yeah, buddy, I remember. You're such an asshole. I think you look more tired now that you're not going out - I didn't - "

"I've always been a hot mess, Fogs," Matt smiled, pushing himself upright with only a slight head rush. "Coffee and - "

"Nope. You're off the clock until tomorrow at eight - Luke's on duty and some lady named Betsy's watching the front, I think she's Melvin's plus one but Jess cleared all of it. You trust us, right?" Foggy asked.

It was a stupid question now, but valid for all the years before when he'd fumbled the plays. "You sure Marci's okay with it?"

His heartbeat skipped and Matt was glad he asked again.

"No, she's not, she wants you to commit to a week uptown so she can hang healing crystals in your room and order massages where they put heated rocks on your back or something - not stay the night, but as long as it takes to get you into a routine - a sleep intervention. I know that you don't want to hear that, but we're doing the honesty thing."

Shit. "Intervention?"

Foggy moved to sit beside him on the couch. "Buddy, people are trying to kill us, remember? You passed out cold where anyone could have - "

"I slept for three hours on Monday and woke up screaming," Matt cut him off. "I can't promise it won't be the same at your place."

"But you'll stay?"

He inhaled through his nose. Pie. "For a couple of days. No promises on Marci's rocks, though."

* * *

Opening week was all hands on deck - before and after Matt's dramatic swoon - and they needed every hand. Ed and Anna ran interference, handling the sandwich orders while Theo handled the overflow customers to their side but Jessica and Claire balanced their time the first week between the counter and herding Matt away from the main room.

Claire knew it would settle down, eventually, but she had to put a sign up on the third day warning customers about asking for free legal advice. Matt might never believe he could make a difference without dressing up and beating up bad guys, but Hell's Kitchen seemed to appreciate the local lawyer with a heart of gold just as much as his vigilante alter ego.

"Nice crowd for a coffee and pie shop, what's your secret?"

She could tell he wasn't from Hell's Kitchen and his practiced smile was - unsettling. "No secret, just a good menu. Have you ordered yet?"

"Heard the owner is a local legend, wanted to get an autograph, maybe a selfie," the man said.

Her phone flashed with a message from Luke. She didn't look over her shoulder to check the window into the kitchen, he would have come up front if he wanted to be seen. *Melvin's spooked.*

Luckily, or not, Matt wouldn't be here for another hour, Foggy and Marci's combined harassment keeping Matt safely in Midtown until nine. Karen was here in the marshmallow section, sitting with a lady cop, or possibly Fed considering her posture and sharp attention to the customers filling the cafe in regular waves despite the early hour. 

Karen gave her a tiny nod and she hoped it meant she would stand down.

Misty and one of the cops she recognized from opening day, but in plainclothes, shifted their seats to mimic searching for better phone service.

She still had trouble believing Matt accepted backup from actual cops. Midland Circle had changed them all, but losing Elektra for the second time had almost broken Matt.

"Sorry to disappoint, he's not in today," she said, coolly. He ducked his head and she spotted an earpiece. Huh.

"Nah, it probably makes me sound like an idiot, I know the guy's blind, just, my old man was a fan of his dad and - "

" _Liar_ ," the old man said from the stool beside the weirdo. Mr. Fogwell had come in every morning since they opened for two cups of coffee and the sports section of the newspaper. She knew his business, a gym she thought, was struggling and Matt had broken the no legal advice rule for him first of all, maybe for the case but probably not. She hoped not.

"Excuse you?" the stranger asked, his fake smile faltering a flash. Oh shit, this guy was hiding crazy eyes - her instincts were right, Melvin had the right idea.

"What's your old man's name? I knew all of Battlin' Jack's fans, nobody placed a bet on him that I didn't take myself," Mr. Fogwell growled, raising his chin in defiance.

"You a reporter?" Mrs. Lottie barked from Mr. Fogwell's side. "You didn't order any pie, you some kind of corporate snoop? "

"Probably works for the bank," Mr. Fogwell accused loudly, bringing the noisy cafe to silent attention.

Claire met the stranger's cold blue eyes and didn't blink. He didn't know who he was messing with or he wouldn't have invoked Jack Murdock's name. "You sure you don't want to order?"

"I think I'll just pay for the coffee," he said, reaching for his wallet.

"Card only, we don't keep cash around," she lied, plucking his credit card from his half open wallet and swiping it before he snatched it back with a sharp glare. "Thank you, don't come again."

Mrs. Harriet stood up from the Yellow section and whacked her cane against the stranger's stool and his shiny shoe before nailing his ankle. "Glad the seat's finally open, I'm ready to order, respect your elders, and let an old woman sit down."

* * *

"So. We had an interesting customer earlier," Claire said.

"How interesting?" Jessica replied, locking her gaze.

"He's the guy Melvin fitted for the red suit and a current FBI agent. Matt wasn't in yet, he's still spending nights with Foggy but Karen and her Fed friend were here."

Jess hummed. "Did you tell him?"

"Thought we'd wait for you. Madani's starting an internal investigation, very carefully I'm told, and Karen's threatening to put Frank Castle on Matt's tail to play bodyguard and - "

"That won't go over well for anyone, damn. I'll get with Karen, let's make absolutely sure this guy's is Fisk's point man before we shake him down," Jessica decided.

"You sure?" Claire hesitated. "Matt probably needs to know."

"And he will - when we have something definite to tell him. Can we get Melvin out of town?"

"Luke drove him and his girl a few hours ago," she said.

Jessica would miss the big guy. "It's temporary. Don't know if we can run this place without him." It was a temporary cover, but she liked the fucking place. She liked the fucking pie and enough of the company that she would come in even if she wasn't working a case if it managed to stay open past the budgeted allotment of dead ex girlfriend money.

"Got a replacement coming in, no experience in the kitchen but he'll fit in," Claire said. "If Fisk is making his move, we need Matt."

It wasn't just working a case, though - it was helping a friend. Fisk was a threat to her friends - Matt might generalize it into 'threat to the city' but Jessica knew what made this fucking place so important to him - it was the people that filled the city, the ones that came in to eat his handmade pastries and refill their own coffee so they 'didn't bother Battlin' Jack's boy' when he was working.

"I'll tell him tonight, after I talk to Karen. Misty - "

"She was here, gave Mahoney the head's up. The Nelsons are off the rotation from now on, only inner circle - trained - employees," Claire said.

"So glad you're handling HR," Jessica admitted.

"Damn right you are," Claire smiled.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Matt rolled out the last of the dough for the chiller before he started a new batch when Colleen let out the low whistle she and Danny had decided was the 'Daredevil call'.

He cleaned his hands and turned the tray over to Luke as payback for his giggle at the whistle and made his way into the front.

"There he is. Matt, this is Seema and her son, Sami. They heard about the place from a friend and wanted to say hi," Colleen introduced.

The names weren't familiar but he could tell the mother was afraid before he shook her hand, and not of him. "Hello, welcome to Mike's Cafe. What brings you here?"

"You're blind. You run this whole place?" Sami asked. 

"He's a pretty good lawyer, too, overachiever making everybody else look bad," Colleen said. "You mind helping me with the computer over there? I have to set my shift's playlist or the boss will make us listen to Miley Cyrus on repeat."

"The random button and the repeat button are - " Matt protested but the kid followed her, encouraged by her teasing. "She has awful taste in music."

Seema held out something, a piece of paper, and he sensed the braille, reading it with one hand. Ray Nadeem, FBI Agent, Fisk. He needed to call Dinah Madani right now.

"My husband says we're in danger and - I've never seen him like this before. He's - I've never seen him scared unless someone he loved was in danger so - he told us to come here, that you were his lawyer and you would tell us what to do."

Matt nodded. "I can find you somewhere safe until your husband can join you. Make sure your family's protected."

Seema hesitated. "So it's necessary?"

"I don't think your husband would have sent you here if he had another choice. Pretty sure he doesn't know what he's getting into and I'm positive he didn't think it would affect his family."

"What - okay. Whatever you think is best, then. I brought supplies for a few days - "

Matt scanned the cafe and picked out exactly who he hoped to find. "I'll be right back."

He tapped Officer Gutierrez and asked, in Spanish for privacy, if his abuela was still renting her apartment out while she was enjoying her fifth divorce. The beat cop had helped hide a few of his clients from overzealous immigration agents.

Seema tangibly relaxed when Gutierrez followed him back, maybe he had his badge showing. He pressed the key to the apartment into her hand. "Make sure Murdock walks you over and introduces you to Auntie, she likes to know if ICE is sniffing around, or whoever, not my business. Is it?" He directed at Matt.

"My husband's an idiot, but hopefully his badge will keep him safe while he hides us with strangers," Seema answered instead.

"Ouch, definitely make her talk to Auntie. Anything you or your boy needs, ma'am, just let Matty know. He's a good lawyer and a decent baker, even if he needs to add more salt to the - "

"Leave another comment card, I dare you," Matt said.

Seema laughed softly and he hoped - God, please - that they could save this family from Fisk.

* * *

Foggy thought they'd have more time once they had a stable of three whole witnesses testifying on alternate days in unspoken locations for grand juries - an FBI Agent with recorded documentation, a computer hacker Matt found shackled in a Faraday cage under a hotel in Vanessa's name and an Albanian mobster with misguided motives, but believable as hell.

They had enough, maybe, to file new charges, and definitely enough to lock up Vanessa but - they needed more time and Karen's phone call at six am had taken any hope of more time.

This was happening now and he needed Matt's ramshackle team of misfit toys to know that zero hour was today. 

"Fisk's lawyer, whole legal team, had their licenses suspended last night," Foggy said, bustling into the kitchen through the shared door from Theo's half.

Luke and Matt's shrink looked up from matching sheetpans half-filled with fruit filling. Cobbler day.

"This is Curt, he's filling in for Melvin," Luke said, glancing between them.

"Frankie and that Deadpool guy both got arrested this morning," Curt said with a solemn nod at Foggy.

Of course the 'trusted new guy' was on Team Castle. Fucking Karen. "Wait, arrested? Both of them?"

"Straight to segregation at Rikers," Luke grumbled. "Don't know if Matt's aware of it since apparently honesty's off the table now."

Foggy put the pieces together and hated the puzzle's final image. "No, goddammit. He's representing them both, has two whole reasons to walk into Fisk's cellblock bare faced."

Jessica leaned in through the kitchen window. "Where is the bastard? Thought you were bringing him - "

"Marci's bringing him, Karen called me early so I tagged out to go to the office first."

She disappeared only to stomp through the swinging doors to face him. "They froze all of Fisk's shadow accounts, issued a warrant for Vanessa and - "

"Full stop - I didn't see any of that," Foggy broke in.

She held up her phone playing a - goddamn live feed. "It's ahead of schedule, fucking reelection bullshit - the news about Vanessa wasn't supposed to happen until she was in custody."

"Fisk is going to snap," Foggy realized.

"Riot's planned for eleven," Curtis offered.

"They planned a riot?" Foggy blinked.

"Of course they did," Jessica sighed. "Of course. I quit."

* * *

"He's still sleeping, he was out late with the Feds last night," Marci told Karen, pushing open the door to Matt's room - it had never been a guest room - and revealed the drowsy devil snug under his weighted blanket and heating pad across his back.

"Oh, he's really out," Karen said, surprised.

"Foggy says he likes the sound of the heating pad more than the heat but - whatever keeps him under."

"I can hear you. Morning, Karen," Matt mumbled into the pillow.

"Got some news and coffee fresh from the shop," Karen said.

"And food that doesn't include pie," Marci added.

"I am feeling very attacked right now."

She pulled the door closed, ensured he would get up for coffee and hopefully a shave.

There was a sudden knocking - bang bang bang - on the door and Karen matched her alarmed expression at the follow-up call of 'FBI - OPEN THE DOOR!'

"Warrant or fuck off!" Marci yelled back, going for the peephole until Karen yanked her back with a hard shake of the head.

"Hide," Karen hissed and the sound of a drill boring through the locks drove them into the kitchen and behind the folding doors of the walk-in pantry moments before the door swung open and men in black flooded the apartment.

"Don't, the noise will blast his ears out and he needs those," Marci hissed when Karen pulled the hand cannon she kept in her purse wrapped in the laminated permit. "Got a better idea." She was grateful for Foggy's weird OCD of putting things back in the wrong place when she spotted the small rectangle.

Karen stared at her blankly when she held up the remote control. Marci rolled her eyes. "You should come to my dinner parties when you're invited."

She hit the keys to lower the blackout shades and appreciated Karen's silent hug of gratitude when the intruders cursed at the sudden darkness when she switched off all the interior lights.

She didn't see Matt but Karen seemed to be tracking something other than the red dots that were now skimming the hallway.

A hiss and grunt, then another - five distinct thunks from the infiltrated apartment went by before the first crash and slash of light from a flashlight.

She had a better view than Karen but she wasn't sure she wanted it - Matt really was - fucking shitballs - Daredevil - and kicked and punched like professional - ninja - "Goddammit."

Karen snickered. "You didn't fully believe it, did you?"

The flashlight went spinning and slammed into a window, shattering it through the blackout screen. She was shocked - and felt stupid about being shocked - when she processed the "FBI" plastered on the vests of zip-tied assholes in the hallway.

Something lodged into the wall beside her, taking pinning two neat clumps of slightly different blonde hair where the blade had sliced a chunk of Karen's and then hers.

But Matt was on the man, bare-fisted and feral and she heard something crack, either Matt's fingers or the man's jaw. The fight was over in a snarl of blood when the guy shoved Matt off him and sprinted to the broken window and was gone a second before the room filled with NYPD officers in blue and black.

"No warrant," Matt said hoarsely, pushing himself upright on the remnants of Foggy's Ikea coffeetable. Good, at least she could blame the ugly thing's demise on Foggy's favorite person. "Are you both - "

Marci had to remind herself that she couldn't smack the stupid out of people and helped Karen to her feet so they could both heave Matt out of his puddle of table. "You're bleeding."

Matt plucked a line of blades, the ones that had chopped their hair, from his arm and shoulder, raising his chin at her. "Is my face messed up?"

"There's concealer at the cafe," Karen said, nodding when her Agent friend walked in.

It would take days - weeks - to clean up this mess and she hated cleaning.

"Not going there, got a couple of clients to visit. Agent Madani?"

The woman's eyes raked over them individually, ticking over Matt's visible injuries. He was going to have to do something about his fingers - Marci didn't think they were supposed to twist that way.

"What clients?" Karen whispered. "I haven't even told you the news yet - "

Madani murmured something to Matt that Marci couldn't make out but he clenched his jaw and hurried back into the guest room with Karen following on his heels.

"I guess I'm on police report duty," Marci sighed.

"Hopefully your insurance will cover the damage," Madani said, almost kindly.

"You think they'll pay for a professional cleaner?" 

* * *

"Guards were all reassigned, huge shake-up in the DOC they're chalking up to help pin down contraband and cross-train employees," Dinah explained when she'd finally convinced Karen to let her drive him to the prison.

It was hard enough keeping up with who knew what and why - she thought it was understood she was taking Devil-sitting duty when things got too hot but the blondes asked too many questions to be in on that level of the plan.

So many plans. 

"Never pegged Daredevil as a strategist to this extent, but I guess I didn't peg him as a lawyer either," she said when he tilted his head toward her in that 'way' he had. "Since when did you play nice with cops, let alone Feds?"

"I made a lot of mistakes, always have, probably always will. I'd like to think I'm learning from them or else - there is no 'else'," Matt shrugged. "Yeah, I fuck up, but I'm not dead and most of the time, I help people."

"You ever tried to give it up?"

"Yeah, doesn't usually go well. I lost - everything because of my choice, but - it's still my choice. I try to quit and - people get hurt."

Dinah wasn't sure about that. "They don't get hurt when you play dress-up?"

"Oh yeah, the lies, the secrets, the collateral damage - Foggy got shot, Karen learned how to shoot - can't get around it," Matt sighed. "That's why I'm - hell, I almost died a few months ago and I'm pretty sure my shrink would have had me committed if he was a real shrink - so I'm trying to do better this time. Working with a team saved my life, hopefully, it'll work for this. Fisk - it was hard enough getting him put away the first time, dirty cops or not - now, it's just - "

"Maybe I was going to thank you for tagging me in on your squad," Dinah cut him off, catching his meaning. Damn, Daredevil had layers, who knew?

"Liar," he smiled slightly, tapping his wrapped but unsplinted fingers against his chest. "But one of the big differences between me and Frank, and maybe Karen, is that I'll never ask you to do anything that I couldn't get you acquitted for in a court of law."

She laughed. "I'll keep that in mind if you give up the cafe business."

"I've been keeping my head down, then here comes my best friend's baby brother asking for a loan - still, shouldn't be Daredevil's business - but I find Fisk's fingerprints all over his last loan and now I have a cafe," Matt said, leaning his head back on the seat.

"Good pie, though."

"Thanks," he smiled, going still and quiet as she flashed her badge and instructions at the first round of guards to direct her where to park the car to transport prisoners.

"What was the point of Frank and Deadpool getting arrested?" Madani asked.

Matt tilted his head with a different kind of smile. "I want to hear Fisk when they tell him he's being investigated for his girlfriend's crimes. And I want to hear him when the guards bring out Wade and Frank to meet their lawyer and tell him that he's been put on the public defenders' roster since his appeals have been rejected due to his lawyers' misconduct."

Dinah glanced at him doubtfully. "Really? You expect me to believe you're not going to try and see him?"

Matt turned back to her, tipping his head forward to flash his trackless eyes. "Now, Agent, don't be insensitive, how would I see him?"

* * *

Vanessa looked around the cafe and tried to find another adjective other than 'distasteful' to describe the haphazard design of the business. Children with sticky fingers clogged the entry around the nickel candy machines - probably didn't turn a profit there - and women in budget dresses and designer shoes mixed in with unshaven men in service uniforms.

It was an unnatural mix of the have-nots and the have-nothings and she would need at least a week at the spa to cleanse herself of this - distasteful space.

She'd have Wilson demolish this block and start over, the only way to cleanse the filth.

"Ha, looks like you had a taste of that Murdock left hook, after all," an old man laughed, leering at Dex standing sentry at her side.

"Thought we told you not to come back," a woman said from the counter, looking at Vanessa as if she was the one underdressed. 

"My employer would like to sample some of your - pastries," Dex said, staring at her, unblinking and waiting for instruction.

Wilson would enjoy a bloodbath in his name, wouldn't he? A flash of unrestrained rage and revenge would surely recapture his affection after the past week and a half of radio silence.

He was displeased with her work, she assumed, and she needed to prove herself, and she would. She nodded and Dex raised in gun in a smooth motion and aimed it at the closest target - the old man.

"You look me in the eyes, Boy," the old man sneered and Dex twitched, the gunshot ringing out in a blast through the small room.

Vanessa flinched at the noise and was surprised to see the old man hadn't fallen, but been replaced by a hulking black man dusted with flour in a apron. An apron with a charred bullet hole.

Dex fired again and - a tiny brunette tackled him to the floor with a crash.

Vanessa opened her mouth to call for her second string of muscle but metal fingers suddenly clutched her throat, lifting her off the floor slightly, just long enough for her to bring up her arms in defense - and win matching silver cuffs cinched tightly on her wrists.

Her hearing finally cleared from the shattering gunshots but the dull roar of applause was a - distasteful replacement.

Wilson would be - even more displeased. Damn.

* * *

The closed sign was on and the paying customers had been escorted out hours ago after the cops arrested and photographed everything, taking the conveniently installed 'just today!' surveillance video.

Jessica provided the beer, Danny the whiskey and Bess the weed - not that Matt would say anything about the faint scent from Theo's side of the shop when they were trying so hard.

The adrenaline and relief had faded into exhausted intoxication but nobody seemed prepared to hear Frank Castle and Brett giggling over an - offensive or maybe obscene? - shaped ginger root someone had stolen from the kitchen.

He sensed familiar motion from the back, visiting with Bess from initial sniff. He let the man get to the door before calling out. "Wilson. Thank you, for all of it, yeah?"

"Does that mean we can hug it out now?" Wade asked, perking up.

"Ew, no, you smell like cheap weed and ego, hugs are only when you smell like whiskey and regret," Matt said.

He threw up both hands. "So many rules with you, Murdock, don't know why I bother."

Karen snorted. "Probably the free legal representation."

"Right, that's right," Wade snapped his fingers in acknowledgment and sauntered out of the cafe.

"When did you make friends with - never mind," Foggy cut off his question.

"When did Marci get nice? And when did Karen start dating girls? Don't make this all about me, we're still allowed - certain kinds of secrets," Matt waved his fancy whiskey at him.

"Damn your nose, I hate you," Karen groaned, lowering her head to the table.

"Marci's always been nice! Mostly. To me, but whatever, she - "

"It was a joke, Fogs," Matt said, patting Karen's hair until she tried to bite him and he remembered his freshly splinted fingers.

"No, just - I missed you. I don't think she knew how much I would miss you," Foggy whispered, suddenly maudlin.

"Men are assholes," Karen mumbled.

"I missed you, too. I thought - maybe if I could help your brother without bringing down a shitstorm that - I could prove I was trying. But then he called me out as Daredevil and - I fucked everything up again," Matt said.

Karen raised her head and blinked at him, pausing to pull a straw wrapper off her cheek before blinking again. "You're an idiot."

"Objection," Matt said, feigning offense.

"Everyone's okay and Fisk is still locked up - it could have been so much worse than some property damage and accidental trysts," Karen defended.

"Accidental?" Foggy asked.

"Sustained," Matt nodded.

"Incidental, same thing. Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥ Happy New Year!
> 
> *I can't really call this a case!fic since I couldn't get my head around how to make it work - but it was fluffy and fun to write - ♥ thanks for letting me run with your prompts! 
> 
> ** _And I did it without succumbing to the Matt/Wade tangent that was threatening to eat my brain so we all got lucky here._


End file.
